Plastics News reporter Dan Hockensmith contributed the following items from Pack Expo 2008, held Nov. 9-13 in Chicago.
Rexam pumps up gels, lotions, fragrances
London's Rexam plc arrived at Pack Expo with a suitcase full of new pump designs. The company exhibited its new Turbo Insert, designed to boost the sprayed application of liquids as high as 100 times the viscosity of water.
Rexam officials also brought the XM99 — a snap-on, tamper-proof, airtight fragrance pump that can be produced in a variety of color combinations. Because of its single-material assemble, the XM99 facilitates recycling, according to Rexam.
Sof' n Cap, a new lotion sampler consisting of a lotion pump, protective cap and 2-milliliter bottle, made its U.S. debut at the show. The mini-dispenser is powered by the Rexam SP543, based on its bestselling SP5 pump. The pump/cap assemble contains a plastic overcap and glass ball and is gasket free.
Reynolds Packaging offers latest flexibles
Reynolds Packaging Group of Richmond, Va., featured several new pouches and films at its booth. Reynolds Flexible Packaging and Presto Products showed their joint retort food pouch with Fresh-Lock zipper. The high-barrier, microwaveable film/film pouch lamination pouch is printable and designed so that foods can be cooked evenly and stored for later use without leaks in the zipper area.
Reynolds Packaging Kama has developed an oriented polystyrene shrink film that the company said has a low 1.03 density and will deliver up to 25 percent yield advantage over PVC or PET films. The lower weight results in lower energy costs and the OPS film's 75 percent shrink capability and consistent shrink curve provide a more controlled shrink for squeeze containers or thin-gauge bottles with minimal smiles or pull-ups, spokeswoman Victoria Welch said.
Reynolds Flexible Packaging launched a biodegradable shrink film for its long-running Reynolon line. The new film meets the ASTM D5511 standard for degradation in an anaerobic environment, Welch said. The new film has ``substantially more'' degradation than standard Reynolon film, she said. Reynolon Biodegradable Eco Class Film will be available in 2009 in 50 gauge and up.
Rollprint introduces its medical overwrap
Representatives of Rollprint Packaging Products Inc. handed out pens wrapped in Triad, the Addison, Ill.-based company's new high-barrier, solvent-free overwrap. The extrusion-coated laminate of polyester, aluminum foil and metallocene was engineered to provide an exceptionally strong hermetic weld seal in high-speed, chemically sensitive, pharmaceutical applications.
Rollprint spokesman Tony Paolino said in a Nov. 11 interview at the expo that Triad's sealant was engineered to bond to foil without the use of solvents or water-based materials and to offer high moisture and oxygen barrier at sealing speeds of more than 100 feet per minute.
Typical uses for Triad are applications such as blow-fill-seal unit dose containers for inhalation therapy or diagnostic kits that require an overwrap to achieve desired barrier properties, he said.
Sealed Air markets Cryovac tacky film
Sealed Air Corp. is marketing Cryovac D-955TK, a food-approved non-skid, nonslip, tacky shrink film. The new film has an asymmetrical construction: One side has the slip of standard D-955 and the other side is tacky, Duncan, S.C,-based Sealed Air said in a Nov. 10 news release. This feature allows for improved performance for hang tab, label and ink-jet applications as well as pick-and-place stacked products.
The nonskid material can be used as an overwrap for palletized products to enhance stabilization during transport and eliminate the need for additional stretch wrap. D-955TK also is microwaveable.
Toray's LumLife film improves bonding
North Kingstown, R.I.-based polyester and polypropylene film producer Toray Plastics America Inc. unveiled its LumLife MK61 film for wet bond, high-barrier and foil-replacement applications.
The thin, high-barrier metallized PET is made with a proprietary metal-adhesion process to offer excellent adhesion in wet and caustic packaging applications, Product Development Manager Eric Bartholamay said in a Nov. 12 interview. He added that LumLife's foil-free character offers end users substantial source reduction, including reduced waste and lowered shipping costs and savings on materials and manufacturing.
Zip-Pak spotlights New retrofit system
Zip-Pak's TopZip Jr. zipper applicator retrofit system was launched at Pack Expo. The machine applies press-to-close, including Zip-Pack's Double zip in the transverse direction and can support pillow, block-bottom, quad-seal and stand-up pouches, the New York company said in a Nov. 9 news release.
``The TopZip Jr. was developed to enable even the smallest of brands to reap the benefits of resealable packaging,'' company spokesman Ken McCracken said in the release. The system is ideal for applications that are a challenge to store or keep fresh, including dried fruits and nuts, cereal, cookies and drink powders, the company said.